A new Mental Health Bill will be brought before parliament in the coming months, Health Secretary Alan Milburn has insisted.

There has been speculation that plans to overhaul existing legislation had been shelved after it was omitted from the Queen's Speech.

However, Health Secretary Alan Milburn told MPs on Thursday that a Bill would be introduced in the current parliamentary session.

We will be bring forward a bill in the course of this session

Health Secretary Alan Milburn

Ministers have faced fierce opposition from doctors, patient groups and campaigners over their plans to reform mental health laws.

Shake-up

A draft Bill, published in June, promised the biggest shake up of the sector in England and Wales for decades.

However, two proposals in particular sparked an outcry.

These included plans to force mentally ill people living in the community to take their medication; and proposals to detain dangerous people with severe personality disorders even if they have not committed a crime.

The Department of Health has received around 2,000 responses to the draft Bill.

Mr Milburn said proposed legislation would be drawn up after these submissions had been considered.

"When we have finished considering those responses we will be bring forward a bill in the course of this session," he told MPs.

"Reform has to happen in mental health services just as they have to happen in the rest of the health service."

He added: "We will press ahead with reform of the mental health laws. The current laws are rooted in the 1950s."

Warning

Earlier this week, doctors and campaigners expressed their hope that ministers would think again about some of the proposed reforms.

The Mental Health Alliance, an umbrella organisation bringing together over 50 different groups, had spearheaded a campaign against the proposals.

The British Medical Association has warned that if the proposals outlined in the draft Bill were implemented they could cause mental health services to collapse.

Speaking on Wednesday, Dr Robin Arnold of the BMA said: "We have serious concerns about the Bill in its draft form and believe that if implemented could result in the collapse of mental health services in England and Wales."

The BMA and other groups said they hoped ministers would enter discussions on any new legislation.